Piers are used to provide access to sail boats, power boats, jet skis and the like marine craft. Piers, also referred to as “docks”, are available in a variety of configurations. The main objective of a pier is to provide a structure where marine craft can make fast when not in use. Marine craft are typically secured to a pier by use of lines fastened to cleats secured to the marine craft and to the pier. The pier provides a structure that extends from the edge of land to a distance over water. The distance may be short, so as to clear a bulkhead, or relatively long for mooring of large vessels in deeper water. A conventional pier consists of vertical pilings that are coupled together by the use of tie boards or stringers. Decking is placed over the stringers to create a safe walking area. The decking can consume a large surface area over the surface of the water, which exposes the decking to the destructive forces of weather, wind and waves. For instance, the decking can act as a sail in high winds. Further should the water be rough due to high winds or large boat wakes, waves that strike the deck may result in a similar destructive reaction. Many piers include break away decking to relieve the stress on the pilings during high waves. However, the break away decking can then become a dangerous floating object, as well as an expense and inconvenience to replace.
A large deck also creates an adverse environmental impact in many environmentally sensitive areas. For example, decking typically consists of individual planks that are spaced to prevent a person from tripping on an uneven surface. Thus, a properly designed dock has minimal spacing which has the detrimental effect of preventing sunlight from reaching the water. Without sunlight, vegetation such as sea-grass cannot grow. This has an adverse impact on the aquatic animal life and is currently heavily regulated in many states, the loss of sea-grass having a detrimental effect on all aspects of marine life.
Another problem with conventional piers is security since it allows easy access for unauthorized persons to approach marine craft moored thereto. Large decking makes it easy for a thief to access the marine craft and provides a platform for removing large items such as televisions, fishing gears, and so forth.
Prior art attempts to address these problems include, for example, the use of a mono-rail guided pier cart to move elderly along the length of a pier. The pier cart can be battery powered to provide a portable motorized “people movers” which run on wheels along the decking of a pier. The pier cart operates as addition to a conventional pier and does not address wind, waves, security or the continuing harm caused by decking that shades the water.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,597 issued to Maxwell et al., discloses a boat launch apparatus for moving various sized trailers up and down an incline. The boat launch apparatus uses a winch for pulling a trailer along a rail for launching of marine craft.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,564,951 issued to Blagden discloses a moveable shelter for boats. A marine craft is suspended within a boat house and when desired, the boat house is run down a railway and the boat is lowered into the water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,016 issued to Honour discloses a marine rail system which includes a rail assembly of parallel ramped rails, a winch supporting a steel cable at one end, carriages with a torque tube connecting the carriages. The torque tube consists of three members, two of the members being telescoping with respect to the third member. A cable is secured to the forward carriage to pull the carriage along the rail assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 41,426 to Edwards disclose a similar marine railway system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,597 issued to Kay discloses a pier having spaced facing side channels slidably receiving platform modules, the edges of the modules being within the channels, and the channels being tied together by elongated eye-bolt elements which extend through the positioned platform modules.
U.S. Pat. No. 89,210 to Cogsil discloses a railway track running along the bed or bottom of a river, from shore to shore, upon which runs a carriage. On top of the carriage (above the water-line and at the level of the railway or road) are laid one or more tracks of the same gauge as that on the shore or in the case of a common road, a platform only. Cars or vehicles to be ferried across the water upon the carriage are moved from shore to shore by the application of any desired power means.
U.S. Pat. No. 116,059 to Humphreys discloses a railway which consists of wooden piles on which are mounted caps d. Attached to the caps are rails, the rails are double headed. Upper carrying wheels support the rolling-stock and griping wheels provide additional grip when required.
Such prior art systems fail to teach or disclose a marine pier system which is not susceptible to destructive wind and wave action, or provide a pier which will improve the environment by allowing the growth of sea-grasses below a support structure. Security of the marine craft moored to the pier or pier is a further issue the prior art fails to address.